


Affection

by Maxtine



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Aftermath, Briefs Family, Character Development, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Love, Majin Buu Saga, Post-Dragon Ball Z, Post-Majin Buu Saga, Sad Vegeta (Dragon Ball), Trauma, Vegeta (Dragon Ball) vs Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24814291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maxtine/pseuds/Maxtine
Summary: Kid Buu has finally been defeated. The whole world has been brought back. Vegeta, Bulma and young Trunks returns back home. Everything is back to normal now...right?
Relationships: Bulma Briefs & Vegeta, Bulma Briefs/Vegeta
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	Affection

**Author's Note:**

> Story takes place the same day the Buu Saga ends.

_"Vegeta....!"_ Bulma sobbed onto his chest.

  
They had gotten back home, washed up, changed, had dinner and she had kept it together the whole time. But she didn’t fool Vegeta. He had heard tiny snivels, seen her hand move away from her eyes. He had caught glimpses of her lip trembling or her eyes sometimes getting glossy. She would always stand tall like a cliff whenever their boy was around. That was why, as soon as Trunks had gone to bed and they were behind closed doors of their room, she fell apart – as he had expected her to.

  
Vegeta said nothing, he just held her and stared intensely at a spot on one of the walls. The shame he felt was unbearable. How could anyone trust him again or forgive him after what he had done? Although the dragon balls had undone everything, his actions still spoke for themselves. All those people he had murdered in cold blood at the World Martial Arts Tournament... What on Earth did his family think of him now?

  
He held her and let her cry it out. In the past he would have told her to get a grip. But not now. This was different.

  
"Bulma-... I-..."  
Where the hell was he even gonna start?

She looked up at him with devastated eyes.  
"You-... Y-You died. I thought I’d never see you again!"

"We both did."  
He brushed a blue tear-soaked strand of hair away from her face.

Bulma’s sobbing silenced ever so slightly.  
"Yeah- but... Vegeta... When you-... Oh gods... I-... I felt it!"

He studied her face.  
"What do you mean you felt it?"

"I... I dunno... We saw the blast and then... It was as if I felt your heart s-stop and you just vanished along with it. I have never felt anything like it. It was horrible!!"

"You-... You felt my energy?" he stared at her baffled.  
He never figured Bulma for a type who would have any sort of connection with ki.

"That was...your energy? I guess... I can’t really explain it. Somehow I just knew. I knew deep in my gut that you were gone...!" she let out a sob, but wiped her tears with one of her sleeves.

He embraced her.   
"You never seize to amaze me, woman. So now what, do you want me to teach you how to fly? Or how to fight? Who knows, you might surpass Yamcha."

That finally made her laugh. He managed a short, pained grin. He despised seeing her so miserable. Especially if it was because of him.

They held each other for a long moment of silence...

"Bulma." Vegeta finally said firmly. "What I did... During the tournament..."

"It’s okay. I heard everything.”

“You-...You did?” Vegeta stiffened, his heart suddenly hammering wildly.

“Well yeah, in the... _afterlife_. That Dabura guy arrived and well, suddenly everyone was talking about it. You were under Babbidi’s spell. You couldn’t help it."

"No! That’s not-..." He took a deep breath.  
"I COULD help it. I _let_ myself fall under his spell. He lured me in with promises of powers and potential only unlocked through my true nature. My....evil nature... And I accepted. I willingly let him take control of my mind. Majin Buu was awakened because of me. Everyone died, the world destroyed, as a consequence of my selfishness! You, Trunks - _everyone_. You have me to blame for that!"

"Vegeta..." she stared at him wide eyed.

"And for a moment"- he continued furious, spitting out the words distastefully, "the world was depending on _OUR child!_ Our not even eight year old boy!! Our child had to risk his life because his father wasn’t there to protect his family! Our son got killed because his father was a despicable, arrogant, useless, selfish piece of sh-..."

Bulma silenced him with a kiss, holding him close for a long while. Pulling away, she locked eyes, staring at him intently.

"I won’t lie to you; Sometimes your thoughts scare me, Vegeta. But at moments like these, I realize your heart’s in the right place. You messed up. Big time. You have a lot to work on, but for now... I forgive you."

He didn’t understand... He was the reason all this went wrong in the first place. How could she forgive something like that, cast it aside as if it was an insignificant ordeal!

Bulma must have glimpsed his baffled expression as she simply put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“It all worked out in the end, despite what you did. You made up for it.” Bulma assured him, to which he didn’t reply, guilt tearing at him. 

"I love you..." she mumbled.

She would tell him this often, but he always had his own way of returning the gesture; a little squeeze, a gentle smile, a kiss, or just through his usual ways of protecting them. She was perfectly fine with this. Vegeta was a complicated man with a rocky past, and his feelings were an utter mess he seemed to still struggle with.

It therefore shocked Bulma to the core when she heard him sigh and utter the words for the first time in their almost seven year long relationship:

"I love you too..."

He looked at her sincerely, a deep sorrow flickering through his gaze. She embraced him hard, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kissing her head, he wrapped his large arms tighter around her as well, careful not to harm her.

~

Bulma changed into a night gown and went to wash off the rest of her smudged make-up. Vegeta only managed to get his boots and trousers off before he slumped down on the bed, feeling absolutely exhausted. Bulma crawled into bed and snuggled up against him, as she had a tendency of doing. Vegeta stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. They both fell into complete silence.

* * *

There was a low knock on the door.

Vegeta darted up. He must have dozed off, he figured.

  
_"...Mom? Dad...?"_

  
He sighed annoyed, slumping his head back on the pillow.

"Yes, Trunks. Come in." Bulma said.

The door opened and Trunks peeked inside.

"What is it hun?" she asked in a way only a mother could.

"Uhm... I fell asleep, but... I had a nightmare... So now I can't sleep anymore..."

"Aww, was it scary?" 

He nodded.

"Do you wanna sleep here tonight?"

Trunks' face lit up.

"Oh for crying out - You're a big boy now, aren't you, son??" Vegeta grumbled.

"Vegeta!" Bulma snapped.

"UGH! _FINE_. Get in."

  
Trunks ran up to the bed and crawled in, forcing Vegeta to move over to the middle.

"....mphf, all I want is one good night of rest. Is that really so much to ask for..." he mumbled and crossed his arms defiantly.

"What did you dream of, sweetie?" Bulma asked him.

"Uh... Well... I dreamt of Buu. You know, the skinny one. First he-... He blew up dad, and...and then he turned you into candy and ate you... And I couldn't do anything, because I couldn't move! It was like I was stuck to the ground. I couldn't save you!" his voice was shaking, on the verge of crying.

Bulma bit her lip, wishing she could have told him it wasn't real...

She reached over, stroking his head gently. Trunks buried his face into the sleeve of his father, trying his best to hide his tears.

Vegeta said nothing, he just continued to stare at the ceiling. He blamed himself for all their pain.

"He's gone now, sweetie... He can't harm you anymore. Neither one of us for that matter." Bulma said softly.

She nudged Vegeta. He glared over at her. She nodded towards Trunks, silently asking him to comfort his sobbing son. He mouthed a _'You're babying him.'_ but she insisted. He knew she was gonna give him hell for it if he didn't, so reluctantly he put his arm around Trunks, trying to comfort him. Trunks sobbed quietly on his shirt. Vegeta looked over at Bulma and mouthed a _'You happy now??'_. She nodded and he noticed her tearful eyes as well.

 _Oh for goodness sake..._

His instincts all cried out of getting up and leaving, and any other day he would have happily obliged. But for a moment Buu had taken them both from him, and all he felt was an urge to have them close as if to reassure himself they were still there. He held around both of them, feeling like an idiot.

"You are both pathetic." he grumbled.

A chuckle came from both Bulma and Trunks through the tears.

~

Soon the tears subsided and the small family of three fell to rest on the bed. Bulma seemed to have fallen completely asleep.

Trunks stared up at the ceiling, mirroring his father, both of them deep in thought.

"Hey dad..." Trunks started, his voice a mere whisper to not awaken his mother.

"Mm?"

"How... uhm. How do you do it?"

"Do what, exactly?" Vegeta grunted, his eyes heavy.

"The feeling stuff. You never cry. You're like, always such a stone face."  
Trunks looked at him with large eyes full of admiration.

Vegeta frowned, thinking back at some less than proud moments of his life.   
"Hmph. I grew up on a planet of war, son. You've grown up on a planet of peace. I was hardened from childhood, growing up under the tyranny of a monster."

Trunks listened intently. He had never really heard his father talk much about his home. Not anything specific like this.

"By the time I reached your age, I was already a cold-blooded, mindless killing machine. Besides, a mind easily adjusted to battle is in our saiyan blood."

"But... I _am_ a saiyan."

"Yes, but you are also half human. And on top of that, you're still just a young child. Children have tendencies to cry."

"I'm not that young! I'm almost eight!" he protested.

Vegeta scoffed.  
"Listen to me, Trunks... I wasn’t always like this. I was once like you. But as you grow older, you will toughen up too."

Trunks tried to imagine his father as a child, but for the life of him, he couldn't do it.

"You did well, Trunks." Vegeta said firmly.

Trunks looked up at him.

"Without Gotenks we couldn't have gotten there in time. You kept him from blowing up the planet for as long as you could. I’m proud of you."

"Thanks dad." Trunks smiled embarrassed.

It was the second time his dad had ever told him he was proud of him. He seemed....different. Calmer, somehow. Friendlier, even? Trunks didn't mind one bit if that meant his dad would spend more time with him.

"But I should have been there for you. You might have gotten strong, but you're still too young for such a big responsibility on your own. It wasn't right."

"But dad, we totally kicked butt."

"Until you didn't and he took you both out." Vegeta said firmly.

Trunks went quiet.

"You need to learn not to underestimate your opponent. As soon as you do, you'll already have lost the fight."

"Yeah, but-..."

"No. No 'buts'. I have fought more enemies than you might even see through your own lifetime. Learn from my experience or it might cost you your life one day."

"Yes, dad." Trunks mumbled, clearly not agreeing with him.

After a few moments of thinking, Vegeta grunted.  
"I still owe you a trip to the park, don't I...?"

Trunks lit up and looked at him wide eyed. He couldn't really believe his dad even remembered.

“Your mother and I will discuss it tomorrow."

"All right!!" Trunks exclaimed excitedly.

“Shhh! You'll wake her, you idiot!" Vegeta hissed.

"Oh right! Sorry!" Trunks whispered back, a bit louder than necessary.

Vegeta mumbled annoyed to himself and closed his eyes.

“Be quiet, and get some rest. You’re joining me in the gravity chamber tomorrow.”

“I am??” Trunks stared at him bewildered.

“The fight might be over and the others will probably take it easy, but we can’t let our guard down. Not as long as that pink, fat waste of space is still around. Who knows how long before he has another hissy fit. Especially with the big-haired moron in charge.”

Trunks nodded, understanding his father’s way of thinking.  
“You should have seen the look on that guy’s face when I punched him at the tournament.”

Vegeta restrained a laughter.  
“I wish I did, son.”

And with that, the two of them slowly fell into a deep peaceful slumber..


End file.
